A cooperative agreement between the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation and a timber company with
land in southeast Oklahoma will secure more than 22,000 new
public acres for sportsmen.

At its September meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife
Conservation Commission authorized the director of the
Department to enter into a three-year lease with Southern
Diversified, LLC, for the company's lands in LeFlore, McCurtain
and Pushmataha counties. The agreement would expand the Honobia
Creek Wildlife Management Area to 102,346 acres.

According to Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the
Wildlife Department, the new properties would include land never
previously available to the public, including several sections
of the Mountain Fork River and the Little River that would
benefit both hunters and anglers. The land is located east of
Smithville near Watson.

The Honobia Creek and Three Rivers WMAs provide
access to thousands of acres of privately owned timberlands in
southeast Oklahoma through lease agreements between the Wildlife
Department and the timber companies that own the land, currently
including Weyerhaeuser, Hancock, Rayonier and Molpus. Sportsmen
fund the lease agreements through their purchase of the land
access permit required of most residents and all non-residents
who hunt or fish on the areas. The cost of the land access
permit is $40 for residents and $85 for non-residents and
provides access to over 300,000 acres of land for hunting and
fishing.

The Commission also heard a presentation from Dr.
Tim Patton, associate professor for the Department of Biological
Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, on the
status of freshwater turtles in eastern Oklahoma.

Freshwater turtles are in decline worldwide, yet
there is still a high demand for turtle meat in commercial
markets.

"This has actually been identified as perhaps one of
if not the most imperiled groups of vertebrates right now,"
Patton said.

Fifty-five percent of all of the turtle species
worldwide are currently considered threatened. Two major reasons
for the declines include habitat loss and harvesting for meat
and the pet trade.

Turtle populations are more abundant and diverse in
the United States and Oklahoma than other regions. However,
Patton notes that areas with high demand for turtle meat look to
the U.S. for that food supply. According to Patton, 32 million
turtles were exported from the U.S. to Asia from 2002 through
2005.

In May 2008, the Commission implemented a temporary
ban on commercial turtle harvest in most public waters of
Oklahoma and partnered with SEOSU and OSU to conduct population
studies.

The research was conducted in the eastern third of
Oklahoma and, in order to establish comparable data, was modeled
after research done in the late 1990s.

Patton said it is impossible to accurately estimate
the actual number of turtles in Oklahoma, so instead a
measurement called "catch per unit effort" is used as an
indication of abundance. Similar efforts used by biologists in
Oklahoma to understand trends in abundance of wildlife
populations without providing exact counts include deer
spotlight surveys, roadside quail calling counts and
electrofishing surveys.

The research showed declines in catch per unit
effort at 80 percent of the locations used in the 1990s, and
there was a 64 percent reduction overall in the catch.
Additionally, while aquatic turtle license sales increased in
Oklahoma from 2001 to 2007 just prior to the ban, total reported
harvest still declined by about 55,000 turtles per year.

"Harvest has gone down despite an increase in
license sales," Patton said.

The current ban, which does allows turtle trapping
in private waters, expires in 2013. Patton and his research team
have recommended permanently prohibiting commercial turtle
harvest in most public waters while still allowing private
harvest and removal of turtles from private farm ponds and
property. The proposal is expected to be presented at public
hearings in January. Before the ban, the Wildlife Department
sold less than 100 aquatic turtle licenses per year.

"We have a great working relationship with Dr.
Patton that goes back years, and we appreciate their important
research efforts on this topic," said Barry Bolton, chief of
fisheries for the Wildlife Department.

In other business, Wildlife Department Director
Richard Hatcher recognized Tom Wolf, fisheries biologist, for 35
years of service to the Department and sportsmen of the state.

The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the
eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state
hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife
Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife
conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the
governor and confirmed by the Senate.

The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for
Nov. 5, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
headquarters (auditorium), located at the southwest corner of
18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is partnering with a wide range of other state agencies, private individuals and outdoor-related companies and organizations to host the Wildlife Expo. The event is designed to promote and instill appreciation for Oklahoma's wildlife and natural resources and provide hands-on learning opportunities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts. The event is free and open to the public.

Activities range from free shotgun and archery shooting to fishing, kayaking, ATV riding, mountain biking and much more. Additionally, numerous learning opportunities are available at booths and exhibits at the Expo. Visitors can speak with wildlife biologists and outdoorsmen experienced in fishing, hunting, game calling, wildlife and fisheries management, reptiles and amphibians and more, as well as attend seminars on hunting dog training, common snake identification, Dutch oven cooking, turkey calling and fly fishing, among other topics.

"In short, the Expo is a celebration of everything outdoors in the state of Oklahoma," said Rhonda Hurst, Wildlife Expo coordinator for the Wildlife Department. "We want you to leave the Expo with a new appreciation for wildlife and the hobbies of hunting, fishing and wildlife watching."

The Expo is Oklahoma's largest outdoor recreation event, drawing thousands of people each year. The Expo will be held at the Lazy E Arena, just north of Oklahoma City. Expo hours will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 29-30. Admission and parking are free.